I work as a DJ and play a variety of genres but I think it’s such a shame that modern music doesn’t provide any hits like the 00s.
When I get to my R&B/Hip Hop section I feel like a nostalgia DJ. Usher, Fatman Scoop, Sean Paul, Blu Cantrell, Dre, Eminem, Snoop, Akon, Destiny’s Child, OutKast, I could go on. All great and classic tunes but I wish I could add a few new tunes. We need another era like this.
I could search obscure stuff but it’s hits I need and they aren’t forthcoming, except for ‘Not Like Us’ recently.
It’s true though, that in terms of cultural reach, that era of party music hasn’t quite been matched or replaced in the same way since. A whole generation of people dancing to songs about shoes and having a great time, then the subprime mortgage crisis hit.
Hasn’t got anywhere near the same ‘groove’ as those 00s hits though. Bear in mind that I’m generally a ‘party/commercial’ DJ so people want to hear stuff that is universally enjoyed. To be honest the lack of movement in the UK charts isn’t good news for a DJ, spend my time looking for remixes of things like Lewis Capaldi and Teddy Swims
Think that’s a general streaming world thing tbh. Only a handful of proper ubiquitous mega hits in a year now, very easy for an act to get to stadium/headliner size without me having heard a note of their music, which wouldn’t have happened outside of niche genres a decade ago
I was hearing from another DJ I know in a similar party/commercial space that he avoids pretty much all male rappers from the last decade+. Only women are allowed to make fun uptempo pop tunes it seems.
Probably social media’s fault tbh. Gotta perform masculinity ceaselessly.
